Stampede leaves many injured, one critical

The police clampdown early Sunday to break up a hunger strike called by the yoga guru left over 70 people injured. Jaya Shroff reports.

The police clampdown early Sunday to break up a hunger strike called by the yoga guru left over 70 people injured.

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Hundreds of policemen fired tear gas to disperse the crowd at Ramlila grounds ensuing in a stampede. Most of the injured were taken to nearby Lok Nayak Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, both in central Delhi.

In the wee hours of Sunday LN hospital staff was pressed as the injured were rushed. It was an emergency since the staff is thin at that hour.

“Around 71 people were brought to us in police vans early morning at about two am on Sunday. Although the staff is thin at night, they all sprung into action as soon as police starting getting in victims,” said a medical official at the LN Hospital’s disaster ward.

“We discharged 12 people immediately after giving them first aid as they had simple injuries and most others walked out of the hospital on their own by early afternoon,” he said.

According to hospital sources, 59 people were under observation but most left on their own on Sunday morning without getting a formal discharge. Twenty seven policemen who also suffered injuries in the stampede were also taken to LN hospital.

By 3 pm on Sunday only 15 patients remained in the hospital, of which 12 had received treatment and were resting in the disaster ward and three were serious.

“Rajbala, 50, was brought to us with cervical spine injury was critical. She was referred to G.B. Pant hospital. She is quite sick. Both her upper and lower limbs have been paralysed,” said a doctor from LN Hospital.

The Gurgaon resident Rajbala is admitted in the neurosurgery ICU of GB Pant Hospital under Dr Ajay Sharma, head, neurosurgery. “She will survive but the chances of her limb recovery are very slim,” said a doctor at GB Pant hospital.

Three patients with serious injuries are still undergoing treatment, two in neurosurgery ward and one in orthopaedics. “Sunil Kumar, 25, a Jharkhand resident was operated upon this afternoon. He is recovering well,” said a doctor from LN Hospital.

Principal Health Secretary Anshu Prakash also visited the hospital at around 1.30 pm. “He spoke to all the patients personally and assured all medical support,” said an official at LN Hospital.